A lot less this time

My poker sucks lately so before I dive back in to it, playing the Online Forum Challenge buy in on Tilt, I decided to do a little husbandry on the south 40. Well, more like one and a half but I do think it’s south. This fall I figured that some of the bushes needed some pruning and been waiting until the weather turned cold enough to do it. Then the weather went cold and I forgot completely about it. Ah, the bitch of turning old. Anyhoo, I remembered it yesterday, too late to do it of course, but was actually able to keep the thought in my mind until today so figured I better get it done or the next thing I know it will be spring. The year flies by faster the older you get. Besides, I need some relaxation. Which of course I didn’t get.

Started with the main blueberry. Not counting what I put in this fall I have about a half dozen blueberries but most are just about 4-5 years old. One however is close to 20 years old and a prolific producer but it’s been a number of years since it’s been pruned and the branches were getting in each others way. Plus older branches do not bear fruit so too much energy was going into maintaining these branches. Decided to take out one of the main shoots which was growing across the bush and through the middle. While taking it out would take out a lot of bearing shoots there are enough new side shoots growing up around it that will eventually take over on the production side, just may take a few years. Problem was, damn shoot was too thick for the pruners to cut. Need a saw to take it out and that isn’t going to happen until my other arm is good enough to balance me as it has to be cut about a foot from the ground. So I moved up a bit, cut off the shoots growing from the main one, and figure I’ll just have to do the job in a couple of years as new shoots grow across the bush again.. I also took out about another 4, fairly large shoots. There goes my blueberry production next summer. Hopefully though the production will be even better in two summers with all the new growth that will take place and be a lot easier to pick as the bush will not be as cramped together. I trimmed a few of the newer shoots off the discard pile hoping to be able to root a few of them. While I have a variety of bushes these days I cannot find this variety anywhere so I want to see if I can get a couple thru cuttings. It’s been a very big producer for me and unlike many varieties it is a self pollinator so you can get blueberries with just one bush though it does better with other types around. While gathering the branches to take back to the burn barrel I passed a walnut tree I planted about 4 years ago. Here is where the relaxation started to go by the wayside. The tree, while growing nicely is still really a sapling. While looking at it I noticed something funny about it, it had a fuzzy look to it. Then it dawned on me, it was a buck rub. A big chunk of the bark on it has been rubbed off leaving a frayed look to what was left. Just hoping the tree can survive it come the spring. Damned deer, has its choice of a number of full sized trees, most I really don’t care about, to rub one and the bastard wastes my sapling. Housing development or no, I may just have to dig out the bow next year.

After pruning the main blueberry I grabbed the smaller pruners and headed over to the cherry tree. That thing has been in the ground for 4-5 years and isn’t going anywhere. I looked at it and it has a lot of small shoots going every which way so I pruned it down to two main shoots and hopefully it will put its energy onto growing them this spring. After I finished the pruning I headed into the house to trim p the cuttings and get them into water, then get comfortable in front of the fire and play some online poker. I know sooner get settled than it dawns on me, I forgot to trim up some of the smaller bushes. They really didn’t have to be pruned but I figured that catching some of those crossing branches early would avoid the problem I had with the older bush later. So bundled up I get and trudge to the back of the property again. I get about halfway thru the job and a green branch doesn’t cut clean and jams the shears. I try clearing them but it ain’t working so I head back to the house and a screwdriver to leverage the blades so the branch can fall out. Get it fixed and then back to the cold and the job. So much for that relaxation. Got the job finished and ready to start playing the OFC.


Will be back later to bore you with some poker content. Thanks for your attention